- 1 stewing chicken (about 6 pounds)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 12 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- Place chicken in a large stockpot; cover with water. Add the bay leaves, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is tender.
- Remove chicken from broth; set aside to cool. Strain broth, discarding seasonings. Set aside 6 cups broth for the soup; save remaining broth for another use. Skim fat from soup broth. When cool enough to handle, remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Shred and set aside 3 cups chicken (save remaining chicken for another use).
- In a large stockpot, saute onion and celery in butter until onion is crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, orange juice, cilantro, seasonings and reserved broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the rice, beans and reserved chicken; heat through. Yield: 8 servings (3 quarts).
Reviews forCajun Chicken & Rice Soup
My Review
Average Rating
"I have made this several times & the only thing I change is I cut back the garlic to 6 cloves. I made it with 12 cloves the first time & we thought the garlic overpowered the other flavors. Otherwise,, very tasty soup with a kick to it."
"Made this today with the leftover turkey we had. Turned out GREAT! Just the right amount of spice!"
"*****"
"My husband and I absolutely love soup, and this is one of our favorites! I love how it has rice and beans -- very comforting and delicious!"
"IT is simply awesome. I made it for my dinner club friends last night and we LOVED it. Just the right amount of heat and lots of flavor."
"What a fantastic recipe! Kids definitely approved. I used fresh tomatoes and canned green chilies...improvised on the Cajun seasoning. But, what a great fresh-tasting soup! Leftovers are already in the freezer for another day. Next time, though, I will wait to put the cilantro in last...to add the "fresh" cilantro taste. Yum!"
"This is our all time favorite soup....all year!"
"I made this the other night and it was a HUGE hit! I was hoping to have some leftovers but the pot was completely devoured. I cheated a little and used canned chicken broth since I was short on time, but it still turned out amazing. This is going to be put on our list of regular recipes to make. Served with some homemade cornbread, this soup is so good it makes you want to cry!"
"Kudo's to Lisa Hammond for sharing this recipe. I'm a soup fanatic and LOVE this recipe. It will be a family favorite for years to come. Keep sharing Lisa!"
